A lengthy, stormy debate in Greece's 300-seat parliament concluded on
Friday with a majority of 153 legislators voting in favour of a deal
seeking to end the two neighbours' long-running dispute by renaming the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the Republic of North
Macedonia. A total of 146 MPs voted against the deal and one abstained.

"Today is a historic day. Greece protects an important part of its
history, the heritage of ancient Greek Macedonia," said Greek Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras on Twitter at the end of a bruising process
which saw his ruling coalition ally quit earlier this month.

According to the contentious Prespes Agreement, signed in June last
year, the small Balkan country will now be internationally recognised as
North Macedonia in exchange for Greece unblocking its path towards NATO
and European Union membership. Its language will be recognised as
"Macedonian" and its citizens as "Macedonian/Citizen of the Republic of
North Macedonia".

The vote in Athens, which came nearly two weeks after MPs in Skopje
narrowly approved the name change, settles the countries' 27-year
dispute.

Societies in both countries, however, remain polarised.

In Athens, thousands of people waving flags and chanting "traitors"
gathered outside the Greek parliament building on Thursday evening to
protest against the agreement.

Similar protests were held in other parts of the country, mostly in
northern towns where opposition to the deal is stronger, polls showing
six in 10 Greeks rejecting the agreement.

Athens has long opposed the use of the name Macedonia for its neighbour,
which declared independence in 1991 following the break-up of the
former Yugoslavia, saying it implied a territorial claim over the Greek
province with the same name as well as an appropriation of Greece's
cultural heritage. Skopje has denied the allegations.

"Certain Greeks oppose the deal because they believe that the term
Macedonia historically belongs to the Greeks. Therefore the use of
'Macedonia' by our northern neighbour it's like an historical theft
committed against 'Greekness'," Dimitris Christopoulos, professor of
political science at Panteion University in Athens, said.

In Skopje, opponents of the deal have also taken to the streets in recent months.

Trajko Slaveski, a former minister of finance and current member of the
opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, described the agreement as a defeat for his
country.

"The deal represents a sheer capitulation under the irresponsible
demands of a neighbouring country, both a NATO and EU member, and as
such could not be supported," Slaveski told Al Jazeera.

For Slaveski, it's not only a matter of legitimacy but also about heritage and identity.

"The name of the country, and, moreover, the identity, culture, and
history of its people has been changed under immense pressure, with
numerous breaches of our constitution and respectful laws. This
undermines the very foundations of our country and society, with grave
consequences for our future," he argued.

Still, others believe the agreement holds positive implications for the two countries, both at the regional and European level.

"The deal shows that the carrots and sticks of the EU process work and
that the EU can function as a peace project, while it reaffirms the
presence of NATO and the EU in the region," Nikos Skoutaris, senior
lecturer in European Law at the University of East Anglia, said.

The deal will also enable greater cooperation in many areas, including
in dealing with the refugee crisis and fostering better economic ties,
according to Gjorgji Filipov, a diplomat in Skopje.

"Macedonia and Greek are winning and losing something, but finally is for the good of both sides," he said.